I have a love/indifferent relationship with my Kindle. I bought it originally because I knew when I went overseas I couldn't take a bunch of books with me, the Kindle (or any eReader) solves this problem. So I got it for our trips. Over the course of time I have also come to appreciate the games I play on it. :) But at the end of the day I love a real book - the feel of the pages turning, the smell of a book, the weight of it in my hand. However, I am grateful for my Kindle. It's backlit so I can read in the dark should I so choose. And on occasion I have until recently when I am reading in the dark pretty much everyday. I am walking on the treadmill in the early morning hours of each day and I can't turn on the overhead light because it is connected to the oldest redhead's bedroom. So it occurred to me - the Kindle! It's backlit so I can read while I walk. Perfect. And it is perfect, I'm so grateful because I need something to keep my mind off the walking and listening to music or podcast wasn't going to cut it for me. :)
There are two probable origins for this idiom and I think both are equally plausible. The first one is that when you spread butter on bread you are buttering it up like one would do when trying to flatter someone. The second is in ancient India there was a practice of throwing balls of butter at statues to ask for favor, i.e. buttering them up. ( source ) When we use the phrase today we generally mean that extreme flattery is used to gain information or favor. It's not always necessarily a compliment.
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